THE ORDEAL 
283 
cathory-Ieavos, -when boiled, exude a gummy juice, which 
effectually shuts out the external air. Each remedy, of 
course, claimed tho morit of tho euro. 
Many of tho children aro cut off by fovor. A fino boy 
°f Captain Novcs’ had, sinco my passago westward, shared 
a s ^ m >lar fato. Another child died during tho period of 
•ay visit. 
Iho intercourse which tho natives havo had with white 
m ° n d° cs not seem to havo much ameliorated their con- 
dition. A groat numbor of persons aro reported to lose 
their lives annually in different districts of Angola by tho 
ciuel superstitions to which they aro addicted, and tho 
ortugucso authorities cither know nothing of thorn or aro 
hnablo to prevent their occurrence. Tho natives aro bound 
to secrecy by those who administer tho ordeal, which geno- 
rally causes the death of the victim. A person, when ac- 
cused of witchcraft, will often travel from distant districts 
la 0r( ter to assert her innoccucy and brave tho test. Thoy 
corao to a river on tho Cassango called Dua, drink the 
‘nfusion of a poisonous tree, and perish unknown. 
^-ho samo superstitious ideas being prevalent through 
ho whole of tho country north of tho Zambesi seems to 
mdicato that tho peoplo must originally havo been ono. 
bolievo that tho souls of tho departed still mingle 
among tho living and partake in some way of tho food 
th «y consume. 
^'l 10 chieftainship is olectivo from certain families. Among 
‘ 0 ^angalas of tho Cassango valley tho chief is chosen 
I0 m three familios in rotation. A chief’s brother inherit* 
! n P r °lorcnco to his son. Tho sons of a sister belong to hor 
r other; and ho often sells his nephews to pay his debts 
y this and other unnatural customs, moro than by war, ifl 
1 ° slave-market supplied. 
^ hilo hero, I reproduced tho last ot my lost papers and 
and, as tnero is a post twico a month from Loanda, 
had tho happiness to rocoivo a packet of tho “Times/' 
amciig othor nows, an account of tho Russian war up 
